Saints Fantasy Football Outlook for Week 7: Should You Start Derek Carr, Alvin Kamara, Michael Thomas, Rashid Shaheed and More?
The New Orleans Saints are coming off a surprising loss to the Houston Texans, making this week’s Thursday night contest against the Jacksonville Jaguars all that more important.
Let’s dive into some of the Saints’ top fantasy options and determine which guys should be considered for your starting lineups in week 7.
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Derek Carr Fantasy Outlook
Carr is one of the many Saints’ players on this week’s injury report. Carr got banged up in week 3, but hasn’t missed a contest since.
Carr had his best passing game of the year against the Texans last week, throwing for 353 yards. It took him 50 attempts and 32 completions to reach that yardage. Carr tossed a touchdown, was intercepted once and sacked twice.
For the season, Carr has thrown for 1,299 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions. He’s topped 300 yards twice now, but has been under 200 yards twice also. He’s had two games without a touchdown and three without an interception.
It’s a pretty favorable matchup for Carr, as the Jaguars’ defense is the 10th worst in the league, allowing an average of 18 fantasy points a contest. One thing to keep in mind is the Jaguars have the most takeaways, so a turnover or two could ruin Carr’s chances of a big point total.
Carr is the 12th-ranked quarterback in our week 7 projections.
Running Back Fantasy Outlook
Alvin Kamara has dominated the backfield since returning from his suspension, but that could change this week if Jamaal Williams returns from injured reserve. He has been practicing, so keep an eye on his status, as that will affect the entire Saints’ backfield.
In his three games, Kamara has played 160 snaps and gotten 75 touches. He’s rushed for 199 yards and a touchdown on 52 attempts, while catching 23 of the 25 passes thrown his way for 86 yards. His receiving numbers are bloated by a 13-catch, 33-yard showing in his first game.
Kendre Miller has been the team’s No. 2 back without Williams in the mix. He got 16 touches in week 5 before receiving only three last week. For the season, Miller has played 70 snaps and gotten 31 touches. He’s rushed 24 times for 73 yards and caught seven of his eight targets for 71 yards.
No other back played for New Orleans last week, so adding Williams back could definitely help. Williams started two games this season, rushing 27 times for 74 yards and catching both of his targets for 7 yards. He was a touchdown machine with the Detroit Lions last season, so the goal line work is what he could steal from Kamara and Miller if he indeed plays.
Regardless of who is playing, it’s a tough matchup ahead against Jacksonville. The Jaguars’ defense allows an average of 18 points a game, which ranks in the top half of the league.
Kamara is ranked 11th in our projections, while Miller is 47th and Williams 53rd.
Wide Receiver Fantasy Outlook
The New Orleans wide receiver room has been pretty much dominated by three guys, Chris Olave, Michael Thomas and Rashid Shaheed.
Olave got back on track last week after a couple of down weeks and leads the team in most statistics. He’s caught 32 of his 53 targets for 414 yards and a touchdown. Olave has caught half of his four red zone targets and leads the team’s pass catchers with 343 snaps played.
Olave also appears on the injury report with a toe injury, although he practiced in a limited capacity at the start of the week. I’d expect him to play after doing so last week, but if he doesn’t, the stock of Thomas and Shaheed jumps considerably.
Thomas has become fantasy relevant again after some injury-riddled seasons the past couple years. He’s caught 31 of the 47 passes thrown his way for 329 yards, but still hasn’t scored. Thomas had six red zone targets, but only one catch. He’s played 329 snaps, the second most on the team.
Shaheed is a big-play threat and has come through for fantasy owners a couple of times this season. He’s up to 16 catches on 27 targets, going for 298 yards and two touchdowns. He’s caught one of his two red zone targets and has played 258 snaps.
Shaheed has three games with over 60 receiving yards, but three under 35 yards. He has made at least two grabs in all but one game.
Keith Kirkwood has played 107 snaps, but only has four targets, so he’s not a fantasy option even in deeper leagues.
Tight End Fantasy Outlook
Juwan Johnson is the team’s top tight end, but is also on the injury report. If he can’t play, Foster Moreau would likely see a bigger role. Moreau had four targets last week.
Jacksonville struggles against opposing tight ends too, with 13 fantasy points allowed a game.
Johnson is the only Saints’ tight in our week 7 projections, and he takes the 23rd and last spot. Moreau would likely slide into that slot if Johnson is out.
Kicker and Defense Outlook
Rookie kicker Blake Grupe has been solid this season, missing three kicks in 26 total attempts. Grupe is 13-of-16 on field goals, including two misses last week.
Grupe is ranked 19th at the position for the week.
The New Orleans defense has been one of the better units in the league against the pass, and has more interceptions (8) than touchdowns allowed (7). The Saints have also been solid against the run, ranking in the top half of the league and allowing just one rushing score. New Orleans has forced just two fumbles, recovering one.
Jacksonville’s offense has been pretty average when it comes to passing and running the ball. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence has six turnovers and is banged up coming into the contest, so the Saints’ defense should have the chance to get after him and maybe force some turnovers and rack up some sacks.
The Saints’ defense is the 12th-ranked one in our week 7 projections.
Who to Start in Week 7
There are some favorable matchups across the board for the Saints, so many of their players should be part of the conversation for starting spots.
Coming off a strong week and going up against a below-average defense, I like Carr this week. He should have enough playmakers around him to finish inside the top half of the fantasy quarterbacks this week. He’ll need to take care of the ball to make that a reality.
In the Saints’ backfield, Kamara, Miller and Williams should all be part of start/sit decisions in deeper leagues. In typical redraft leagues, I like Kamara this week, regardless of whether Williams plays or not. Kamara can make up for the lack of a touchdown with some receptions and extra yardage.
Miller I would consider as a starter in deeper leagues if Williams does not play. I would also consider Williams in deeper leagues if he plays, but stay away from him in standard leagues as he might be limited to short-yardage and goal-line work.
Olave, Thomas and Shaheed are all solid players to start in deeper leagues. In standard leagues, all should be part of the conversation too, but I’d be most comfortable with Olave, followed by Thomas. I like Thomas more in PPR leagues. If Olave can’t go, I’d be comfortable starting Thomas and Shaheed.
Regardless of who the Saints play at tight end, I’d only consider them starters in deeper leagues. Even then, I’m not a huge fan of what they might be able to produce this week.
Even though I’m anticipating a low-scoring, tight game, I wouldn’t add Grupe to serve as my starter. I think the Saints’ defense is a sneaky-good play this week against a banged-up Lawrence, and would seek them out if no other great options are available.
